Jeg foretrekker te uten sukker.

I prefer tea without sugar.

Breakdown of Jeg foretrekker te uten sukker.

• jeg: I
• uten: without
• teen: the tea
• sukkeret: the sugar
• foretrekke: to prefer

Questions & Answers about Jeg foretrekker te uten sukker.

Why is there no article before the noun te?

Because te (tea) is used as an uncountable/mass noun here. In Norwegian, mass nouns in the indefinite form usually have no article when you mean the substance in general. Examples: Jeg drikker te/kaffe/vann. If you mean one serving, you can use a countable reading:

• en te (a tea, i.e., one serving)
• en kopp te (a cup of tea) — this is the most natural when ordering.

What gender is te, and what is its definite form?

Te is an en-word (masculine). The definite singular is teen (the tea). With a possessive after the noun: teen min (my tea). A plural exists but is rare and mostly for kinds of tea: teer (teas), definite plural teene. More idiomatic for “types of tea” is tesorter.

Why is the phrase uten sukker placed after te? Could it go before?

Prepositional phrases that modify a noun typically come after the noun: te uten sukker (tea without sugar). If you want an adjective before the noun, use sukkerfri:

• sukkerfri te = sugar-free tea (a product/property)
• te uten sukker = tea served/taken without sugar (how you take it right now)

Where does the negation go if I want to say “I don’t prefer tea without sugar”?

Put ikke after the finite verb in a main clause:

• Jeg foretrekker ikke te uten sukker. That means you do not prefer tea without sugar (you likely prefer it with sugar or prefer something else). The placement after the verb is standard V2 word order.

How do I say “I prefer tea to coffee”?

Use fremfor/framfor (or foran) with foretrekke:

• Jeg foretrekker te fremfor kaffe. You can also use a comparative with “like”:
• Jeg liker te bedre enn kaffe.

How do I say “I’d rather have tea without sugar”?

Use heller with a modal/ha:

• Jeg vil heller ha te uten sukker.
• Or: Jeg tar heller te uten sukker.

Can I use a verb after foretrekker?

Yes: foretrekke å + infinitive.

• Jeg foretrekker å drikke te uten sukker. (I prefer to drink tea without sugar.)

What are the main forms of the verb foretrekke?

• Infinitive: å foretrekke
• Present: foretrekker
• Preterite (past): foretrakk
• Past participle: foretrukket
• Perfect: har foretrukket
• Imperative: foretrekk! (rare in use)

How do you pronounce the sentence?

Approximate, Eastern-style:

• Jeg ≈ “yai/yei” (the g is silent)
• foretrekker ≈ “FOH-reh-trek-ker” (stress on the first syllable; the double k makes the preceding vowel short)
• te ≈ “teh” with a long e
• uten ≈ “OO-ten,” but Norwegian u is front-rounded (like saying “ee” with rounded lips)
• sukker ≈ “SU-ker,” front-rounded u; double k shortens the vowel; r is tapped/trilled or guttural depending on dialect

How do I say “with sugar” instead?

Use med:

• Jeg foretrekker te med sukker.

How do possessives work here if I want to say “I prefer my tea without sugar”?

Postposed possessive is most common in everyday speech:

• Jeg foretrekker teen min uten sukker. Preposed is also possible (more formal/emphatic):
• Jeg foretrekker min te uten sukker.

Is sukker countable? How do I talk about sugar cubes?

Sukker is normally uncountable (a mass noun). For cubes:

• en sukkerbit (a sugar cube), plural sukkerbiter Examples: uten sukker, or specifically uten sukkerbiter if you mean “without sugar cubes.”

Is the verb really required in second position (V2) here?

Yes. Norwegian main clauses are V2. In Jeg foretrekker te uten sukker, the finite verb (foretrekker) is in second position. If you front another element, the verb still stays second:

• Uten sukker foretrekker jeg te.

Can I shorten this when answering a question at a café?

Yes. Elliptical answers are natural:

• Uten sukker.
• Te uten sukker, takk.

Do I ever need to add “any” (noe) after uten?

It’s optional. Uten sukker is normal. Uten noe sukker adds emphasis (“without any sugar at all”).

Is it correct to write té with an accent?

No. Standard Norwegian uses te (no accent).

What’s the difference between Jeg foretrekker te and Jeg liker te best?

• Jeg foretrekker te (uten sukker). states a preference, often between options, without necessarily comparing explicitly.
• Jeg liker te best. uses the comparative idea “like best,” typically implying there are other options being compared (e.g., coffee, juice).

Why do I see double k in foretrekker and sukker?

Double consonants in Norwegian signal that the preceding vowel is short. So the vowels before kk in foretrekker and sukker are short. In te, the single consonant after the vowel lets the vowel be long.